These Students Went To Prom In Only Duct Tape

Promposals aren't the only aspect of the traditional high-school dance getting a creative twist. The Stuck At The Prom Scholarship program challenges high schoolers to create DIY duct tape prom outfits, and believe me when I tell you the final products are literal pieces of art. Students Mia and Chandler not only took home this year's $10,000 prize, but they definitely earned my vote for this year's style king and queen.

Personally, I can barely piece together a suitable ensemble without browsing Pinterest for twenty minutes, so if you can create an intricate, beautiful clothing design, from scratch, using only your imagination and a few rolls of duct tape, I am thoroughly impressed — and also a little depressed I never continued knitting. There was a scarf designer in me somewhere, I swear.

Back in the early 2000s MTV's Made series aired an episode in which a young woman constructed her entire prom dress from grey duct tape. My jaw was to the floor in awe for the entire episode, and clearly I wasn't the only one. From then on it pretty much became the thing to mix up the traditional prom gown and tux.

And I thought my three prom dresses were pretty impressive. Pshhh.

According to Mia and Chandler, the inspiration for their coordinating evening wear stemmed from "a "Willy Wonka meets Todd Oldham '80s/early '90s vibe." The prom-going couple used a whopping 39 rolls of solid-colored duct tape, resulting in 90 hours of creative labor. Mia's wire corsage with feather and flower detailing and Chandler's bow tie were the only pieces of the ensemble that were not originally made from duct tape.

The Stuck at Prom Scholarship program encourages designers to think outside the box, and by limiting their resources to duct tape alone, envisioned promsembles are more than fashion. They are wearable art.

Images: Courtesy of Stuck at Prom (3)